Flexible pocket receptacle



Nov. 4, 1947. D. J. BROUGHT ON 2,429,979

I FLEXIBLE POCKET RECEPTACLE Filed Aug. 9, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR ATTOR EYS Nov. 4, 1947. D. J. BROUGHTON FLEXIBLE POCKETRECEPTACLE Filed-Aug. 9, 1945 2 Sheets-SheefiZ R O T N E V m flow:Jinx/away 634A A M ATTORfiYS Patented Nov. 4, 1947 FLEXIBLE POCKETRECEPTACLE Douglas J. Broughton, Springfield, Mass., assignor to Buxton,Incorporated, Springfield, Mass, a corporation of MassachusettsApplication August 9, 1945, Serial No, 609,816

2 Claims. (01. 150-38) 1 This invention relates to an improvement inflexible pocket receptacles such as billfolds and more particularly toan improved construction of the front wall elements which provide forexpansion and contraction of the latter wall as the billfold is openedand closed.

In one form of billfold it is customary to construct the front wall withat least one two-ply,

generally tubular, end section, within which at least one end of anintermediate wall member telescopes. Preferably both end sections of thebillfold are so constructed, with the opposite ends of the intermediatewall member slidable in the adjacent end section. The average billfolduser utilizes the space between the intermediate wall member and theouter wall of the tubular member, in which it slides, as a pocket forcarrying cards and the like. To meet the increasing demand for cardcarrying capacity in a billfold it is customary to insert a'partitionwall in this space and also to add in various ways, additional wallmembers to the end sections to provide additional pockets. Suchpartitions and additional wall members result in increasing thethickness of the billfold and in a stiffer, less flexible structure.

It is the principal object of my present invention to construct the endsections, one or both of them, so that a partitioned pocket is providedin front of the intermediate wall member in a manner such that thebillfold is not only not substantially thickened or stiffened but is infact rendered more flexible and permitting additional pockets to beadded with minimum adverse effect on the general flexibility of thebillfold.

A further object is to secure a better distribution of the leather inthe front wall so that the whole is more uniformly flexible.

A further object is to reduce the resistance to relative movement of theintermediate wall with respect to the other elements at the front wall.

Another object is to provide a construction having the above advantageswhich is adapted to use in a wide variety of billfold constructions bothin constructions where no stitching is used and in constructions inwhich varying amounts of stitching are employed.

These and other objects will be made apparent in the followingspecification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a billfold of a construction inwhich no stitching is used and embodying my invention, parts beingbroken away;

Fig. 2 is a generally perspective view of the rear face of the frontwall of the billfold of Fig. 1 the rear wall and end closing members andpart of the intermediate wall member being broken away.

Fig. 3 is a plan view, on a smaller scale, of half of the blank fromwhich the body of the billfold of Fig. 1 is folded up;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the intermediate wall member;

Fig. 5 is a sectional View substantially on line 55 of Fig. 1; and

Figs. 6 to 15 inclusive show how the invention maybe applied toillustrative types of billfolds some parts of which are stitched.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive the billfold is shown as including arear wall I and a front wall comprising two-ply end sections generallyindicated at 2 which include inner and outer plies 3 and 4 respectivelywhich are connected together along their upper edges by a fold 5 and anintermediate wall member 6. In the form of billfold shown in thesefigures the ends of the rear wall are provided with flaps 1 which arefolded over on and interlocked, as indicated at 8, with the outer ply 4of the adjacent end section to thereby connect the ends of the rear andfront Walls to close the ends of the billfold. The particular manner inwhich the ends of the billfold are closed is not a feature of thepresent invention, and as will later be more fully shown any suitablemeans for closing the ends or bottom of the billfold may be employed. Inthe form of constructions shown in the figures under discussion thelower edges of the outer plies 4 are unitarily connected to the loweredge of the rear wall by fold 9 (Fig. 3), and the parts held inoperative relation without stitching.

The inner ply of each end section is formed with a cut III which, asperhaps best shown in Fig. 2 extends from a point adjacent the upperinner corner of the ply downwardly and outwardly to a point adjacent theouter end of the ply between the upper and lower edges of the ply.Preferably the outer termination of the cut is substantially mid-waybetween the upper and lower edges of the ply. The upper outer cornerportions of the intermediate wall member 6 are inserted through the cutsin to position said portions in the space between the plies, theremainder of the intermediate member being positioned to the rear of theinner plies 3 and in the bill compartment. As shown the intermediatewall member is formed at its upper outer corners with tabs H whichengage in slots l2, formed in the inner plies 3, to limit the extent ofsliding movement between the intermediate wall member and the endsections. The engagement of the ends of the intermediate wall memberwith the outer ends of the cuts l6 may also serve to limit the movementof the intermediate wall member and in some cases it may be desirable toomit the tab and slot connection H-l2. The tab and slot arrangement hasthe further advantage that it holds the corner portion of theintermediate wall member flatly against the adjacent portion of theinner ply, and prevent an undesirable degree of upward movement of theend of the intermediate wall member.

The cuts it extend toward the end of the billfold at least as far as theends of the intermediate wall member when the billfold is folded.

Preferably the ends of cuts I terminate in small cut out or punched outopenings 13, particularly the upper end. The openings l3 tend to preventthe cuts from being extended by tearing of the leather or other materialfrom which the billfold is made. Openings 13 also tend to permit theedges of the intermediate member greater freedom of movement in the endsof the cuts IE3. As shown the upper edge of the intermediate memberslides in the upper ends of the cuts l9 instead of in the bight of thefold connecting the plies, thus tending to decrease the frictionalresistance to the movement of said member.

The outer ends of the inner plies 3 are shown provided with tabs M whichare folded around the adjacent edges of the outer plies and interlockedto the outer plies as shown at 15, Fig. 1. The tabs M are not parts ofthe present invention but are preferably used in the interlocked type ofbillfold shown.

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate the invention as applied to a type of billfoldin which the two-ply end sections .are connected to the end of the rearwall by a fold i6 between the outer ends of the outer plies i and theends of the rear wall I. Ply 3 with its out ii? is folded over onto plyl which then is folded on the rear wall as shown in Fig. 7. The loweredge of ply l is secured to the bottom edge of the rear wall l bystitching H and preferably the adjacent edge of ply 3 is provided withan extending portion 28 also engaged by the stitching If, the corners ofthe intermediate 'member 6 are inserted in the cuts l6 as previouslydescribed.

In Figs. 8 and 9 ply i is connected to the bottom edge of the rear walland the parts are folded up substantially as described in connectionwith Fig. 3 except that the end closure members are omitted and theouter ends of the rear wall and outer ply i are stitched directlytogether as at 59. A portion'fill of the outer edge of the inner ply maybe, and preferably is, included in the stitching.

In the form of Figs. 10, 11, 12 the plies 3 and 4 are formed initiallyseparate from the rear wall. The rear wall is provided with a pocketforming flap 2i extending from its end edge. As shown in Fig. 12 theflap 2! is folded over onto the folded plies 34' and its lower edgestitched to the rear wall by stitching 2'2, the lower edge of plies 3and 4' having portions 23 and 24 respectively, engaged in the stitching'The member 6 is inserted through the cuts ill as previously described.

'Figs. 13, 14, and 15 show a similar application of the invention. Therear wall I is provided with a pocket forming flap 25 extending from itslower edge adapted to be folded onto the rear wall with and its outeredge stitched to the 4 end of the rear wall as indicated at 2'6 in Fig.15. The end edges of the plies 3 and (i are provided with portions 27and 28 respectively, which are engaged by the stitching 2B. As isillustrated in -these figures the cut it may be carried to the outeredge of the inner ply if that edge is stitched or otherwise secured toone of the other wall members. The intermediate wall member is insertedthrough out iii of ply 3 as in the preceding constructions.

It will be understood that the several applications of the inventiondescribed do not exhaust the types of billfold constructions in whichthe invention may be used but are believed sufficient to illustrate itsbroad adaptability. In any case the portion of the inner ply S whichextends over the intermediate wall member is offset from thepprtionforming a partition in the pocket between ply i and the intermediatewall member so that these elements are provided in the billfold with asingle thickness of leather. The whole results in a front wall ofextremely flexible and balanced construction. It will be understood thatthe cut it may be variously shaped and positioned as desired to meet theneeds of various billfold constructions.

I claim:

1. In a billfold having rear and front walls, a front wall constructionwhich includes a twoply end section, the plies being connected alongtheir upper edges, the inner ply of said section being formed with a cutextending downwardly and outwardly from a point adjacent the upper innercorner of said inner ply, and an inter-- mediate wall member having anupper outer corner thereof extending through said out to pcsition theportion of the inner ply'which is above the cut to the rear of saidmember and the portion of the inner ply which is below the cut forwardlyof said member, said out extending at least to the adjacent end edge ofthe intermediate wall member when the billfold is folded.

2. In a billfold having rear and front walls, a front wall constructionwhich includes a twoply end section, the plies being connected alongtheir upper edges, the inner ply of said section being formed with a cutextending downwardly and outwardly from a point adjacent the upper innercorner of said inner ply, and an intermediate wall member having anupper outer corner thereof extending through said out to position theportion of the inner ply which is above the cut to the rear of saidmember and the portion of the inner ply which is below the cut forwardlyof said member, said out extending at least to the adjacent end edge ofthe intermediate wall member when the billfold is folded, the upper endof the out being enlarged and theupper edge of the intermediate wallmember slidably engaging in said enlargement.

DOUGLAS J. BROUG-l-ITON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name, Date 2,011,846 Buxton Aug. 20, 19352,328,400 Stanley Aug. 31, 1943 2,352,383 Herbener June 27, 1944.

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 193,222 Great Britain Feb. 22, 1923

